Description

McDaniel College invites applications for an Assistant or Associate Director of Financial Aid. At McDaniel College, we value our employees by offering our full-time employees tuition remission, 403(b) retirement accounts, paid time off, medical insurance, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, and paid parental leave. Visit the college guidebook for more details. 

This position has a budgeted hiring rate of $57,000 for an Assistant Director or $62,000 for an Associate Director. The position is classified as A4. The A4 salary band for all full-time, 12-month positions at the college with this classification have a minimum rate of $50,000 and a maximum rate of $93,780. For benefit purposes only, the workweek is estimated to be 35 hours per week. The actual schedule for exempt positions may vary based on the workload and responsibilities assigned.

The Enrollment Management Division is a dynamic, high-performance division that plays an essential role in the mission of McDaniel College. Reporting to the Director of Financial Aid, the Assistant/Associate Director of Financial Aid plays a key leadership role within the financial aid team. As an experienced financial aid professional, the Assistant/Associate Director must demonstrate a strong understanding of the value of a liberal arts education, McDaniel College’s Strategic Plan, and how financial aid strategies and processes align with broader institutional priorities. 

The Assistant/Associate Director of Financial Aid oversees major functional areas in Financial Aid and has systems management experience with a highly automated financial aid management system as well as a working knowledge of the overall operation of the Financial Aid Office.  The Assistant/Associate Director assists the Director with administration of the Financial Aid Office, represents the office in administrative and public venues, and has a key role in decision-making and policy development within the department.

In addition, the Assistant/ Associate Director supervises the Office Manager and is responsible for advancing team and system development and supporting the execution of financial aid strategies as well as recruitment, enrollment and retention efforts. The role requires the ability to set goals, manage time effectively, and deliver results while balancing individual responsibilities with project leadership and team support.

An appreciation for diversity, strong interpersonal and communication skills, and the ability to manage staff and multiple projects, and institutional priorities simultaneously are essential for success in this role.  Foster trust and transparency through clear, compassionate communication, leading challenging conversations with students, parents, faculty, and external agencies regarding financial aid eligibility, verification, and appeals.

The position may include the option of one remote workday per week when possible, pending successful performance metrics, based on office coverage and staffing needs. During peak and yield seasons, flexibility is essential, and evening/weekend hours or full in-office presence will be required.

Requirements

Qualifications

• Assistant Rank: Bachelor’s degree with minimum of two years of experience in a financial aid office that demonstrates increasing responsibility. Associate Rank: Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of four years of experience in a financial aid office that demonstrates increasing responsibility,  Master’s degree or some graduate coursework preferred.
• Excellent organizational skills with the proven ability to organize work strategically by conceptualizing and prioritizing the greatest needs based on institutional and divisional priorities.
• Proficient knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, enterprise data management systems such as Colleague, Outlook, relational database report writing and other cloud-based products.
• Knowledge of financial recordkeeping/reporting principles and procedures. 
• Knowledge of basic mathematical and accounting principles. 
• Working knowledge of federal, state, and local financial aid regulations and guidelines.  
• Working knowledge of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). 
• Knowledge of basic tax forms - 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, W2's.  
• Applies understanding of organizational priorities policies, data and trends to all decision-making.   
• Must be able to anticipate and strategically plan for cyclical activities.
• Proven ability to accurately assess and handle phone calls, visitor requests, etc., with discretion and a positive attitude to deliver excellent customer service.
• Ability to communicate effectively in English orally, by phone, in person, and in writing.
• Discretion and reliability in sensitive and confidential matters. 
• Ability to respond to emergency situations in a timely and calm manner
• Excellent oral and written communication skills to convey complex financial aid processes, ideas, facts, and information effectively and accurately to students, staff, faculty, and the general public.  
• Ability to handle confidential matters judiciously.  
• Ability to think critically to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.  
• Detail-oriented and skilled in reviewing data and proofreading materials to ensure accuracy.  

Physical Abilities  

The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job:

• Sitting for long periods of time.
• Some bending and stooping when working with files.  
• Limited lifting involved but not more than 25 pounds at a time.  
• Finger and hand dexterity for typing and handling paperwork   

 Working Conditions

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is routinely working in a normal office environment with minimal exposure to adverse conditions.   The noise level in the work environment is usually minimal to moderate.